Always and Forever
by NightLightning21
Summary: I felt like the 8th season ending was a little rushed. This is an A/U where Caleb is the new LokSat and he kidnaps Castle and Beckett. Plenty of Caskett. This is their journey to truly end the LokSat rule
1. Hierarchy

Always and forever

Beckett could feel pain blossoming in her abdomen. She reached for her gun, trying to focus on her target. Caleb Brown. Her vision was going blurry, and she was losing feeling in her legs. She tried desperately to cling on. But she was fighting a hopeless battle. She fell, landing in a pool of blood on the floor. Castle was a few feet away, blood seeping from his shirt. Caleb walked towards the 2 of them, smiling in triumph.

"Did you really think you could defeat LokSat?" Beckett was now barely hearing him, her entire world going black. The last thing she knew was Caleb's laugh.

Castle could feel a burning pain in his torso. For a moment, he didn't remember what happened. Then everything hit him like a punch in the gut. He and Beckett had defeated LokSat, and he thought everything had ended. He was ready to leave that not entirely pleasant chapter of his life behind. Then, he'd realized Caleb shouldn't have been found, and had promptly been shot down by LokSat's right hand man. Then… he remembered another round of shots and… Beckett!

"Beckett!" he called out, instinctively.

"I'm sorry, but she can't hear you. In fact, you won't see her for a long time." Castle tried to move, but realized he was tied down. He blinked, trying to focus on his surroundings. He was in what looked like a hospital room. White was the only color he could see. He was lying in a bed, handcuffed to the steel railings.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Where's Beckett?" He yanked at the steel cuffs, knowing it was no use. The steel reinforced door opened, revealing a silhouette. Castle's room was mostly dark, and the hallway outside was light so he couldn't see the person entering. However, he instantly recognized the voice.

"You've been quite the pest . You and your cop wife." Castle kept his eyes fixed on Caleb, even when light flooded his room. He screwed up his eyes, but still kept them fixed on Caleb. Hate filled his thoughts.

"I swear, if you hurt Beckett," Castle warned.

"You'll what? Kill me? I don't think so." Caleb smiled again, although it never reached his eyes.

"What do you want from us?" Castle demanded. Caleb laughed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"You've put me in quite a pinch . If you and your wife go missing, guess who your partners will accuse? Eventually, they'll find out that LokSat is still alive and well." Castle glared at him, breathing heavily.

"So you won't kill us." Castle felt a small pang of relief, now that he knew Beckett was okay.

"No I won't kill you. But I need to dispose of you. So I will keep you here. And to make sure you don't escape, I have a deal. It's really quite simple Rick. You behave and be a good boy, and your wife doesn't get hurt."

"You have no idea what Beckett's capable of," Castle spat back. "You can't hurt her." Caleb smiled, which made goose bumps appear on Castle's arms.

"You'd be surprised at what I can accomplish. Sometimes, emotional trauma is worse than physical abuse. I know how to use that for my advantage." Castle felt chills go up his body. Caleb wouldn't hurt Beckett. He would destroy her.

"Okay. Fine, I won't try to escape. But that doesn't change the fact that we'll be noticed if we go missing. Ryan and Esposito will still suspect you."

"Oh I know," Caleb said. "I'm going to stage a little accident for you two. I'm going to let you go . But I'm keeping Captain Beckett here with me. If you sound an alarm, I will torture her. You will cover for me."

"So what are you planning on doing? Keeping Beckett for long enough to stage an accident for the two of us?"

"Something like that," Caleb responded. He smiled at Castle, casually fingering the gun on his waist.

"Take some time to think about it Castle. I'll come back for an answer in the morning."

Beckett opened her eyes slowly. Her entire body was pounding in pain, in particular her middle. There was an agonizing ache there, that practically disabled her. She slowly moved her head, even this simple action causing her much pain. After a few moments, she began to become aware of her surroundings. She was in a small, dimly lit room. From her limited vision, she saw what looked like a hospital room.

"Castle?" she called out.

"I'm sorry Kate. But he can't hear you. In fact, he's just a couple rooms down. But unfortunately for you, he might as well be on the moon." Beckett squinted to see a figure standing in the doorway.

"What do you want Caleb?" she demanded.

"It took Castle quite a bit longer to ask me that. Are you sure he deserves you?" Beckett tried to move her arms, but found them handcuffed to her bed.

"What did you do to him?" Beckett asked, already feeling grief consume her. If anything happened to him…

"Don't worry. Castle is fine. And he's struck a deal with me."

"Castle would never make a deal with you," Beckett spat. "He knows he can't trust you." Caleb tutted sadly.

"I'm afraid he didn't have any other choice. He just had to trust that I would keep my word." Beckett knew that Castle would sacrifice anything to keep his family safe. She was beginning to believe that he would do something like this.

"What did you make him do?" she ground out.

"All in due time Kate. For now, I want to talk to you." Beckett turned away, hating the sound of his voice.

"If you don't behave I'll kill Castle." That got Beckett's attention.

"If you hurt him, I swear I will find a way to put a bullet through your skull," Beckett hissed.

"I don't want to kill him. He could be very useful to me. The plan is simple. He's going to skew the investigation into LokSat while I keep you here with me."

"There is no LokSat," Beckett said. "We captured him. It's over Caleb." Caleb cokced his head to the side.

"If the leader of a wolf pack dies, does the pack scatter?"

"It does if the pack is filled with cowards," Beckett said, glaring at him.

"NO. It gets a new leader. LokSat is not a person. It's a job. And it's been filled once again. In fact, you know the new LokSat. Beckett, you can either call me Caleb, or LokSat."

 **This is my first Castle fanfic. Please tell me what you think in the comments. But please don't be insulting. Those will not be tolerated.**


	2. Fate

Fate

Beckett shouldn't have been surprised. But she was. All of her hard work, gone. How could she have been so stupid. Take down one, and another just takes his place.

"What are you planning Caleb? Going to try and take over again?" Caleb chuckled, rubbing his forehead.

"Something like that Kate. Your husband will buy me some time, so I can disappear. Then, I will let you go. As long as you promise not to pursue me at all."

"First of all, I don't make deals with vermin," Beckett spat. "And second, I will hunt you. And if you hurt Castle, that will only drive me even more." Caleb looked genuinely concerned for a moment.

"I don't plan to hurt Castle. If he follows orders, both of you will be fine." Beckett instantly knew they were in trouble. There was no way in hell that Castle would follow Caleb's orders. He would try and get help.

"So what do you say Kate? Feeling up to convincing your husband to go along with it?" Beckett sighed, biting her lip. She knew she didn't have a choice. Convincing Castle to help Caeb would be their only way out of this hell.

"Fine," she muttered. Caleb smiled.

"Good girl. Once Castle reveals that you're dead, and that you killed me, I'm home free. Unfortunately I need to wait a day for Castle to heal enough to go out there. And don't worry. I will provide medical treatment for you too." Beckett glanced down at her torso, still feeling the sharp ache from the bullet.

"I guess I'll see you later Detective Beckett." Caleb ran his hand through his hair, and closed the door. Once again, Beckett was plunged into darkness.

Castle was working extremely hard to breathe. Every breath gave him a sharp jolt of pain. He continued his breathing exercise, all while thinking about his family. They were the only things keeping him going. He couldn't quit. He had to keep fighting.

"Come on," he muttered, gently flexing his hands.

"You're a very lucky man ." Castle's head jerked upwards, and he instantly knew who was speaking.

"You have a very loyal wife. She's willing to do anything for you." Castle narrowed his eyes, his breathing speeding up. Ow! Not the best idea ever.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded.

"Haven't we been over this?" Caleb asked, sounding bored. "I'm not going to hurt her. So long as you behave." Castle jerked his arms, feeling the handcuffs pinch his skin.

"You'll see her shortly. In the meantime, try to get some rest. You'll be needing you strength."

Castle smiled, as he looked at Beckett. They were finally together. After everything, they had made it through. Beckett slowly walked towards him, love shining in her brown eyes. Castle would never get tired of her. How could he? She truly was extraordinary. They embraced, and Castle hugged her tightly, wanting to never let go.

"I love you Kate," he murmured.

Suddenly, shots rang out, and Beckett fell away from his grasp. She fell onto the floor, her eyes already closing.

"BECKETT!"

Castle jerked upwards, sweat covering his body. Too late, he realized he couldn't move, what with ropes also lashed across his body. He was panting, not even feeling the pain in his chest. Beckett… It was only a dream. Yet everything had seemed so real. He remembered the heart stopping fear, and seeing her fall to the ground.

"Nightmares?" Castle had really grown to hate that voice.

"Yeah," he said, disgusted. "I dreamed I was stuck with an evil alien with no brain. Then I woke up and realized it was my reality." Caleb narrowed his eyes, looking away for a second. Then, he proceeded to approach Castle, the same blank look in his eyes.

Caleb yanked the ropes off, and took the handcuffs off. Castle slowly flexed his muscles, getting blood flowing again.

"You can see her now," Caleb said, walking out of the room. Castle then saw another figure, silhouetted until the lights were turned on. Compared to Caleb, seeing Beckett was like seeing an angel.

"Kate?" he asked, not trusting himself. Beckett smiled softly, limping over to his bed. Castle slowly got up, flexing his shoulder muscles. He was still very unsteady, but none of that mattered.

"I was so worried," he said softly, embracing her in a gently hug.

Beckett had never felt so right before. She was in Castle's arms, right where she belonged. One hand ran through his soft brown hair, while the other pulled him closer.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Castle," she said. Castle pulled back so he could look at her.

"It's not you fault. Don't blame yourself. This is all on Caleb." Beckett tried protesting, but Castle cut her off with a kiss. His lips were soft, and Beckett let herself go. She could feel his hands, threading through her hair, and on her back. Regretfully, they broke apart, and Beckett instantly felt the loss.

"I never want to leave you Beckett," he said. Her eyes began to well, as she remembered why she was here.

"Castle. There's a reason I'm here." She pulled away, looking him right in the eye.

"You have to do what Celeb says. You have to go out there. It's our only shot."

"NO Beckett," Castle pleaded.

"This isn't the end. We will find Caleb. And we will destroy his operation. But one step at a time. We can't win the war with this battle. That will come later. But for now, we have to do what's smartest." Castle looked at her, tears coming to his blue eyes.

"I wish this didn't have to happen. I wish… so many things." Beckett nodded in understanding.

"I know. But right now, we don't have any other choices." Castle nodded, kissing her on the forehead. He reluctantly pulled away, slowly walking towards the door.

"I love you," Beckett called out. "Always."

Castle smiled, sadly. "Always," he repeated.

"So Castle, were you convinced by your wife?" Caleb asked, once he was out of the room. Castle wiped away tears, his face taking on a fiercely determined look.

"Fine Caleb. I'll go." Caleb smiled, and led him to prepare.

 **Sorry for the delay. I was busy for a few days. Please enjoy, and feel free to send me ideas.**


	3. Game on

Game on

People said that if you loved someone enough it could physically hurt to be apart. Take that pain, multiple it by 20, and you get Castle. He reluctantly dragged himself from his former room, where Beckett was currently being held hostage. _Just help Caleb disappear_ , he told himself. That's the only reason you're still alive. It really was a bitter feeling. The only reason he was still breathing was because Caleb needed help getting away from law enforcement.

Caleb led him to a medium sized room, that looked like a garage. Caleb grabbed a duffel bag, preparing to get Castle ready. First, he pulled out Castle's original clothes, spreading them out on the floor. He pulled out a vial from the bag, with a red liquid in it.

"This is Beckett's blood," he said. He then pulled out an identical vial.

"And this, is my blood. Both of them are going on your clothing." Castle fingered at his handcuffs, rolling his eyes.

"Now, you're an author. See if you can make up a story." Caleb paused,for drama.

"My blood, and Beckett's blood on you. Beckett is nowhere to be found. Gunshot residue on your clothing. Now come up with a story." Castle instantly knew the game Caleb was playing.

"You and Beckett were killed in a gunbattle. I managed to escape." Every word tasted bitter. "This way the police won't look for you." Something felt very familiar. This was what Jerry Tyson had done to try and disappear.

"Exactly," Caleb said. "And since you are the only witness, and it's the only story that makes sense… Just remember Castle, I have people everywhere. Beware of who you trust. And don't forget, if you tell somebody, I will kill Beckett. And don't think I'm bluffing. I can still rebuild the operation even without this cover story. Although it would make things so much easier."

"Okay, I get it," Castle snapped. He grabbed the shirt, and hurriedly put it on.

"Just get me out of here," he muttered. Caleb smiled, and continued getting him ready. The last thing was to put a bag over castle's head, and lead him to a car.

It was at least an hour before the car stopped. Caleb walked over the middle doors, and grabbed castle by the arm. The bag was removed, and Castle could see his surroundings. He was near the 12th precinct. He could recognize the landscape.

"Alright, we're here. Remember the story Castle. And remember, I have people on the inside." With that, Caleb went back into the car, and sped off. Castle now faced an impossible task. He found himself moving towards the building, although he didn't want to.

Castle entered the elevator, even that bringing back painful memories. So many times he had been riding this with Beckett. He could imagine her right beside him, like she should be. The elevator doors opened, revealing the same precinct. Yet something was different. He could sense it. He'd been missing for a couple of weeks now, and he could sense heaviness in the air. He walked towards the whiteboard, seeing their kidnapping investigation laid out. He wasn't surprised that Espo and Ryan had taken the case. They would have kep pleading until they could investigate.

"Esposito," he called out, his voice still hoarse. Now, it sounded almost gritty. Like he'd been yelling for too long. Ryan and Esposito both looked upwards, perfectly in sync.

"Is that?" Ryan asked.

"It's really me," Castle said. He sounded very tired, and his clothing was torn and dirty.

"Castle?" Espo asked, hardly able to believe it. Castle walked a few more feet before being enveloped in a crushing three way hug.

"Castle, we were so worried," Ryan said, almost tearing up. "You've been missing for almost 3 weeks!"

"I know, I know." Castle gently pried his way out, knowing the inevitable was coming.

"Where's Beckett?" Esposito asked, looking around for his team member. And now he would have to explain everything. He was telling a story that was a lie.

"Well…"

Beckett watched the door close behind her, her husband disappearing. Her first thought was relief. Castle was okay. He wasn't being tortured or dead, his body where no one would find it. She waited then, stretching her cramped legs by pacing the small room. The lack of windows, and reinforced door made sure there was no escape route.

Caleb was gone for almost 2 hours, leaving Beckett with even more time to think. She sat down on the bed, comforted by the fact that Castle was here. It was her fault that he was here. Beckett was never one to sugarcoat things, and she knew the fault lay with her here. If she hadn't been so determined to go through with this. Her thoughts flew back to when Castle had tried to hack her investigation. Vikram had just barely managed to stop Hayley from seeing their case. But then Castle had confronted her at the precinct. He'd said that she liked being broken.

The worst part about that talk was that he was right. Even now, her natural instinct was to see the worst. Pain was what she had known for so long. Without it driving her, it made her feel vulnerable. Not weak, but like there was something missing.

But now, she was beginning to realize what she should have seen so long before. She should have known before she dragged Castle into all of this. He could fill that void inside her. Even from the beginning, he brought a spark that no one else had. She didn't know it at first, but that one murder would change her life forever. Yet, here she was, without him because of something she started. For that, she would never forgive herself. But maybe, she could learn to live with it.

"I'm so sorry Castle," she whispered. No. This wouldn't end here. She knew why she couldn't complete the case without him. They were like Yin and Yang. Together, they were harmony, alone, they were off balance. So what did she need? To get back with him, and work together.

"Caleb, you have one hell of a fight coming."


	4. Illusion vs Reality

Illusion vs. Reality

"Castle it's been weeks," Espo exclaimed.

"I know. Trust me, I would have contacted you if I could." Both of the boys had unshed tears in their eyes once Castle told them Beckett was dead.

"We should've known when we realized it wasn't Caleb's body we found," Ryan said, letting a single tear fall. Castle looked down at his wedding ring, closing his eyes, and hoping that Beckett was okay.

"Castle? Where have you been?" Hastings asked, as she came over from her desk. She started towards the group, but quickly realized something was wrong. Ryan had tear tracks covering his face, and his eyes were red and puffy. Espo's eyes had begun to lose the fight to keep in the tears, and occasionally, one would slip down.

"What's going on?" Hastings asked, in a much softer, and more caring voice.

"Beckett…" Espo managed to choke out. Even though Castle knew that Beckett was alive, he couldn't help but feel as though she were dead. He was glad that Hastings could figure out what had happened on her own. If he had to tell the story again, it would break him.

"I'm so sorry Rick," Hastings said, offering him a hug. Castle accepted it, knowing she needed it too. Beckett had been Hasting's role model, and the younger cop cared about and admired her.

"Who was the bastard who did this?" she asked, directing her question towards the boys.

"It was Caleb," Ryan managed to choke out. "They killed each other." By now, other people were beginning to notice what was going on, next to Ryan's desk. Hastings had tears running down her cheeks, and everyone crowded around to find out what was going on.

10 emotional minutes later, everyone knew the story, and the entire homicide division was in mourning.

"So, who's our captain now?" a single voice asked. Castle took a deep breath, wiping at tears. It hurt him to see his friends so sad, not to mention the whole Beckett being held hostage situation.

"Don't worry," Ryan said. "I have an idea." Still wiping his eyes, he strode towards the elevator, trying to look confident.

Beckett looked down at the handcuffs she was in. They were police cuffs, strong, and impossible to get out of with what she had. Great. She was handcuffed to a steel railing, just next to the bed. Right now, she was in an impossible situation. She would simply have to sit tight, and wait for Castle to get back.

Ryan came back half an hour later, with a familiar person by his side. She immediately noticed something was wrong, and approached Esposito.

"Gates?" he asked, confused. "What are you doing here? I thought you were down at 1pp."

"I was detective. But Ryan managed to convince me to step in temporarily as captain." Castle's head snapped up, and idea quickly forming. Dammit. _Stop it_ , he fiercely told himself. But he couldn't help it. His gut told him that this was his only chance to rescue Beckett. He was smart enough to realize the dangers he would cause if Caleb let him go. There was no way in hell that was going to happen. He'd let himself hope in a time of desperation. But now, his head was clear, and he had a plan. He would need help.

"Ryan, Espo, and Gates, would you come with me?" Castle asked. The trio looked up, seeing determination in Castle's eyes. They followed him to a corner of the precinct, sensing this was for their ears only. Castle glanced back at the group, thinking for a second.

"Stay here," he said, walking back towards the crowd.

"Officer Hastings? Would you come as well?" he asked. The young cop wiped her eyes, and nodded, following him back to the group.

"I brought you all here to talk about Beckett," he began. Almost immediately, Gates stopped him.

"Mr. Castle, I don't think this is the appropriate place to have this conversation." Castle, admittedly had to agree, but he had been so desperate…

"Okay. Let's go to my office. We can talk there."

"Okay castle, what's this about?" Ryan asked, as soon as the door was closed.

"Hold on," Castle said. "Hayley? Alexis?" he called out. The two girls appeared at the door, confused at the sudden crowd.

"Dad!" Alexis cried out, enveloping him a crushing hug. Castle hugged back, extremely glad to see his daughter again.

"What happened?" Alexis demanded. "We couldn't find you… or Beckett. We looked everywhere. Where were you?"

"It's a long story. And I promise I'll explain. But for now, I want you to go back to the loft. And whatever you do, don't leave until I said so. The same goes for Gram." Alexis was smart enough to figure out something was terribly wrong.

"Dad? What's going on?" Alexis asked. Castle knew that he couldn't bring his daughter into this.

"Look, I'll tell you later. But for now, please just do as I say." Alexis glared at him a moment longer, challenging him. When he didn't flinch, she slipped out of the office.

"Rick, are you going to tell me what that was all about?" Hayley asked, bewildered.

"Beckett's being held hostage," Castle explained. There was a collective and audible gasp from everyone.

"Beckett's alive?" Hastings asked. "But you said-"

"I was blackmailed," Castle interrupted. "By Caleb. He has Beckett and is threatening to kill her. We need to get her back." The detectives were looking at one another, anger entering their eyes.

"I always knew that guy was no good," Esposito snarled. "We have to go and catch this bastard before he hurts our captain." Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Guys, we will rescue Beckett. And we will take down Lok Sat once and for all."

"You sound like you have a plan," Hayley said.

"That's because I do. And I'll need your guys' help with it."

"You know you have my help Castle," Esposito said with absolutely no uncertainty.

"Mr. Castle, this is going against all of the rules."

"But it's the only way," Castle countered. "I know you would rather go the official way, but that's not going to work. This whole operation needs to be undercover. The world needs to believe Beckett is dead."

"I don't know," Gates said uncertainly.

"This is the only way. Do you really think I would waste my only shot to rescue the love of my life?" Castle asked, pleading with his eyes.

"Well, I don't like it, but I understand. Okay. For Beckett, I'm in." Castle grinned, a spark of hope blossoming in his heart.

"Beckett, we're coming."

 **I apologize for any plotholes in the story. I'll try to explain things. Caskett in the next chapter. I realize** **Gates might** **be a little OOC (out of character) but my reasoning is she's willing to save a fellow cop. Thanks, R &R**

 **NightLightning21**


	5. Mind Games

Mind Games

"Can you be any louder?" Espo asked, glaring at Ryan. The cop was talking loudly into his phone, while everyone else was working.

"Hey, it's not my fault that Jenny has a cold," Ryan said, defensively. Esposito rolled his eyes, and turned his attention back to Tory.

"Any luck yet?" he asked, looking at the screen. Tory narrowed her eyes, searching her map of New York.

"So far, I've been able to trace a rough trail of Castle's phone. Now that we have his password, we can access it's direct location, but it will probably be difficult. Beckett is most likely being held in a place not likely to get cell service. This might take a while." Esposito sighed in disappointment, turning away to talk to Castle.

"I just hope it was the right move bringing Tory in on this," Castle muttered to Hastings. He looked at the tech analyzer with suspicion. Hastings knew it was just worry making him doubt Tory. She was a trusted member, and valuable asset to their team.

"I know you're worried about Beckett," Esposito said, butting in on the conversation.

"But she's strong. If anyone will survive this, it's her." His words reassured Castle to a point. There was nothing anyone could say that would make him stop worrying, but support from his friends helped. In Castle's mind, Beckett was a special kind of love. Of course, he loved Alexis and his mother, but that was different. He never fell in love with them. It had been a given, right from the start.

With Beckett, there was the path to love. Earlier in their relationship, she had been completely unwilling. And many times, she had discouraged his feelings, by not so gently pushing him away. But he couldn't really blame her. He knew his former reputation. Playboy, sleeps with every pretty girl in his life, that's who he was. He had changed… for her. And if he lost her now… His brain couldn't even imagine a future without her. It was impossible.

"Castle? You're drifting again," Gates said, snapping her fingers. Castle's head jerked upwards, becoming alert once again.

"What?" he asked, looking around. His gaze focused on the captain, and he realized she had called his name. Gates actually gave him a soft smile.

"I know that look. And it won't help anyone if you start speculating the worst possible scenario. I'm not going to tell you to stop worrying. That would be stupid and inconsiderate of me. Instead I'm going to tell you to channel it. Use the fear as a drive. It's the most powerful force out there. Use your love as a strength."

Castle opened his mouth to thank her, but she was pulled out of the tech room by another detective.

"Got it," Tory said. Castle looked at the screen, seeing a number of different windows open.

"How'd you do it?" he asked, still confused by the myriad of different windows.

"I had a little help," Tory admitted, nodding towards Hayley. The other hacker was busy on her laptop, her feed transferring to the larger screen.

"I was finally able to find a strong enough signal, and magnified to track your phone. Then… it gets tricky." By tricky, she probably meant shifty.

"What did you do?" he asked, slightly worried.

"I may have used government satellites to help with triangulating the signal," Hayley said, not looking up. Castle sighed, but knew he shouldn't say anything.

"Alright, well, what do you have?"

"I managed to ping your phone to a remote location, outside of Brooklyn." Castle looked to the screen, and saw a map appear, with his cell's location.

"Alright, let's go," Espo said, heading towards the door. Ryan followed, heading out of the tech room.

"Castle? You coming?" Espo asked, looking concerned.

"No, I think it's best I stay here," Castle said, trying to sound convincing.

"What are you talking about?" Ryan asked, confused now, as well.

"I just think that me staying here is a logical choice," Castle said. Espo and Ryan exchanged a confused glance.

"Castle, it's Beckett. When have you ever been rational about her?" Ryan asked, in disbelief.

"I just think that you guys should go without me," Castle said in atone, that prompted no arguing.

"Rick what was that about?" Hayley demanded once they had left.

"Follow me, and I'll tell you," Castle said, quickly heading out of the precinct.

They reached his car, where Castle shoved Hayley in, and sped out onto the road.

"Rick what's going on?" Hayley asked.

"We need to find Beckett," Castle answered, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I thought that was what Ryan and Esposito were doing," Hayley said, trying to make him see reason. What she didn't know, was that he had already seen it.

"I knew that getting Beckett wouldn't be that easy," Castle said, pulling up beside his building. They were soon inside the loft, each gulping down a quick meal.

"Pinging my cell? Way too easy. And something Caleb wouldn't be stupid enough to let us do." Hayley nodded, beginning to see his reason. It had seemed pretty easy to her at the time.

"Okay, so what are you proposing?"

"We try and retrace my path. But not using my phone, we'll use Caleb's." Hayley looked at him skeptically.

"Have you forgotten we can't access his phone?" she asked. Castle gave her a look.

"I'm sure I can count on you to figure that you." Hayley grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sure I can. Just give me a couple minutes… and a chocolate bar if you have one." Castle smiled, hope filling him.

"Are you sure it was here?" Castle asked, for about the fifth time. Hayley rolled her eyes, and didn't even bother answering. They had traced Celeb's cell to a different remote area, just outside of Queens. There, they'd found warehouse, that was promising for a hiding place.

Hayley had managed to shut off the security, and right now, they were back in the halls of the building. Everything was eerily familiar to Castle.

"Okay, I'll admit it, this looks exactly like what I saw of my prison." They continued walking down the hall, looking for any signs of life. Hayley pointed to the crack underneath a door, and Castle saw movement. It looked like a shadow of someone walking around.

"3...2...1" he whispered. On 1, they both rammed into the door. It was no use. Castle looked to Hayley for the answer. They both heard a muffled voice coming from inside, and Castle was certain it was Beckett. Hayley opened her lock picking set, and removed a few tools. Within 2 minutes, she had successfully navigated her way through the lock, and the door swung open. The figure inside turned around.

"Beckett," Castle whispered

 **Anyone who has a Scratch account,** **and is willing to help me, please let me know. I need your help posting the word "Caskett" on someone's profile page. It's a joke between friends. Also, I know I said I would, but the Caskett reunion just wouldn't fit into this chapter. It's coming next chapter. I swear.**


	6. Timeless

Timeless

Time had pretty much stopped for the couple facing each other. Neither of them moved, both just… staring. For them, it was completely comfortable. Standing there, captivated by each other's gazes.

Hayley was a little more uncomfortable. She broke the void, by turning around and

walking down the hall.

"I'm going to check out the warehouse," she called out, knowing the two would need

some time. Castle and Beckett were still staring at each other, both with the same look of pure shock.

"Castle?" Beckett was the first to break the silence. It seemed to snap both of them out of their daze.

Slowly, they both began moving towards each other, both at an even pace. They finally stood, less than a foot apart, and stared again.

Beckett could smell him, and see his features with the greatest accuracy. There was a silent tension brewing, making the air feel tight, and the room get smaller. The dam was going to burst, and soon.

Beckett brushed her hand against Castle's, hoping for a reaction. It was the final straw. He quickly closed the distance between them, crashing his lips onto hers, while he shoved them up against a near wall.

There was the passionate reunion of lovers in the kiss, but also a soft and sweet nature to it. Beckett finally broke away, gasping for air, and leaning her head into his chest. Castle gently stroked her hair, resting his head on hers.

"I missed you," he said. Beckett smiled, for his words were perfect. Castle always managed to put just enough emotion in his words, that he didn't need extras. It was always enough.

"I missed you too," she murmured, wrapping her arms around him. They stayed like this for what seemed like forever. Holding each other, and reveling in their reunion. They could stay like this forever… always.

Finally, their minds caught up with them, and reality cut into their joy.

"Caleb's gonna be back soon," Castle said, looking down the hallway. Beckett knew he was right. But it felt so good to be held by him, she didn't mind waiting a little longer to part.

When they did, it felt like something was missing.

"Guys," Hayley's voice cut through the silence, and was a welcome distraction.

"Yeah, what is it?" Castle asked.

"Come with me," Hayley said, leading them down a hallway. They entered a room, that looked like some sort of tech room.

"This is where we'll find Caleb's secrets."

"Hey bro, why do you think Castle dropped out like that?" Esposito asked, surveying the warehouse. Ryan peeked out, behind the dumpster, taking his own look.

"I don't know. Maybe he thinks he couldn't handle it," Ryan suggested. It was a weak theory, but so far, the most plausible.

"Think he might be going rogue?" Espo asked. Ryan considered it for a moment, seeing that was another likely theory.

"I don't know. I mean we both know how much he loves Beckett. He wouldn't be stupid enough to jeopardize his chances of being with her." Ryan quickly realized Esposito wasn't listening.

"Movement," the other cop whispered, motioning to the warehouse. Ryan looked out, and saw a shadow moving behind a curtain.

"Should we go in?" he asked. Espo looked again, and nodded.

"All systems go," he said, into his walkie talkie. The NYPD teams slipped out of hiding like shadows, surrounding the building. Espo and Ryan lined up against a door, preparing to kick it open.

Ryan's shoe slammed against the door, forcing it open. The teams rushed in, everyone on high alert. Esposito rna in ahead, looking for signs of life. The whole place was abandoned, thick layers of dust everywhere except… He saw a new padlock on a door, leading into the center of a warehouse. He quickly notified the team, and the lock was broken off the door. One of the other guys opened the door, while Ryan and Esposito ran in.

They entered a large room, that had an object in the middle. It was large, close to the size of a desk. But it was draped over by a towel, and the lighting was dim.

"I'm going in," he muttered. Ryan followed him, not about to let his partner do this

alone. He aimed his gun at the object, while Esposito approached. They both exchanged a glance, and nodded. Espo quickly pulled off the towel, while Ryan was still ready to fire. The team crowded by the door, trying to see what it was. Esposito and Ryan shared a glance.

"It's a bomb," Ryan said, looking closer at it.

"Oh God," Espo said, looking at the side. Ryan looked too and saw a timer.

3… 2… 1.

"Found anything Castle?" Beckett asked, searching through a filing cabinet. He'd found random files, detailing people he didn't know. They looked like just random people.

"All I've found is a bunch of paperwork." Beckett nodded, meaning she had found the same.

"Maybe Hayley has found something more," Castle suggested, looking over at the former MI6 spy. She was trying to hack the laptop they'd found on a dusty desk. They walked over, still very creeped out by the room. It was dimly lit, and seemed abandoned. It was like nobody was there. And so far, they'd found nothing. At least nothing pertaining to Lok Sat. Castle was really beginning to doubt there would be anything to find.

"Uhh, guys," Hayley's nervous voice called out. Castle and Beckett both walked over, seeing what she had on her screen.

"That's the warehouse that Ryan and Espo went to," Castle said, pointing to the screen.

"Yes, but it's a simulation. Look." Hayley clicked the screen, and suddenly, the warehouse exploded, erupting into flames.

"And that's not the only one," Hayley said. She clicked the screen again, and simulations of other things came on. The white house.. The pentagon… the Eiffel tower, and they all ended the same way. Bursting into flames.

"Oh my God, these are their plans." Beckett and Castle exchanged a look, knowing exactly what this meant.

"They're going to destroy our country. And then they'll take over."

"And that's just the beginning," Hayley said,


	7. Inferno

Inferno

"We have to get to them," Beckett snapped, already heading out the door.

"Beckett, wait," Castle called, running out after. Hayley plugged in a flash drive, downloading the plans onto it. She knew better than to interfere when mom and dad were fighting.

"Beckett please. We have to be reasonable." Castle grabbed his wife by the arm, pulling her back.

"Castle how can you say that?" she asked. "That's Ryan and Espo we're talking about. They're family."

"I know. I care for them too. But we need to be reasonable." Beckett blew out a frustrated breath, scratching her head.

"Look. I know how tempting it is to be impulsive. But I never would have found you when Tyson kidnapped you by going straight into it. The only way I was able to find you was to think." Beckett bit her lip, clearly frustrated. She hated waiting. That was when she felt useless.

"Fine. But we need to get to the warehouse right now." Castle narrowed his eyes, obviously about to argue.

"You're weak right now Kate. You need to get back to the precinct. Hayley and I will go and get the boys." Beckett glared at him, not yet seeing reason. Castle steadily held her gaze, staring straight into her eyes. It took some time, but eventually, Beckett stood down.

"Fine," she said, heading away. "I'll go back and get some rest." She slipped out, and stiffly walked past Hayley. Hayley glanced upwards, raising her eyebrow.

"We should go," Castle muttered, walking towards the waiting NYPD teams.

"We have a new mission boys. Two detectives Ryan and Esposito have entered a trapped warehouse. We have to get them." Castle brushed past them, hurrying out of the warehouse. It had been very hard to keep his cool in there. He and the boys had become close. And he was extremely worried. Judging from the simulation, the odds of survival seemed pitifully small. He shook his head, not wanting to deal with it.

"Hayley? You want to come with me?" he asked. She nodded, and followed him to a cruiser. Everyone else was already going, so Castle and Hayley were among the last.

"You know we can't do anything right?" Hayley asked. Castle took a deep breath, hating that she was right. Ryan and Espo would have already gotten to the warehouse. He could only hope they hadn't triggered the explosion.

Fire… heat… smoke. Walls everywhere. Dizzy… headache… so sleepy. Wreckage… destruction. Esposito… wait, what? Ryan tried to focus, tried to make his eyes cooperate. He could barely see in the smoke, and his whole body felt like one broken bone. They had tried to run. It was useless. At least they were alive. If they had stayed, they would have been blown to bits. Ryan tried to walk, and ended up collapsing onto the burning ground. He rolled, trying to crush out the flames. At the same time, he bumped up against something. It was Esposito. _FOCUS_ , Ryan commanded himself. He ran his hands over the cop, trying to feel for signs of life. There… a very weak, very faint pulse. There was also a large pool of blood around Esposito's head. Ryan closed his eyes, trying to block out the stinging smoke. There was a large gash on Esposito's forehead. As well has burns on his torso. HIs clothing was burnt, and charred.

"Espo," Ryan choked out, suffocating on the smoke. His partner didn't respond. Ryan gathered every last bit of his strength, forcing his legs to move. His hands were trembling, but he managed to successfully roll Esposito on his side. Just as he'd hoped, the movement roused the detective.

"Espo?" Ryan tried, nudging his partner. Esposito coughed, and body convulsing slightly.

"Ryan?" Esposito's voice was cracked, and weak. But at least it was there.

"Yeah, yeah. It's me." A beam crashed down, exploding in flame. Yet another heatwave enveloped the boys. Their world was filled with orange.

"Can you walk?" Ryan asked, checking for leg injuries.

"I don't know," Espo gritted out, breathing heavily. "But we won't have oxygen for much longer." Ryan looked upwards, flinching because of the intense light. There seemed to be no escape.

"This reminds me of the serial arsonist," Espo said, finally lifting his head to look around.

"Yeah. But I'm not so sure this one will have a happy ending."

"Did I do something wrong?" Castle asked Hayley in the car. Beckett's cold behavior had surprised him.

"Generally, I don't take sides between you two. Don't like to interfere with mom and dad," Hayley said, following the line of police cars.

"Please. Just tell me what you think is wrong." Hayley turned to look at him, thinking deeply.

"You told me that Beckett liked being damaged. When she broke it off with you," Hayley began.

"I think that this is a weaker version of that. No matter what you do, Beckett will never like being vulnerable. She can be. And she's learned that with you, she can afford to open up. But her instincts were built when her mother was murdered. Those will always be a part of her. I mean-" Hayley cut off, when they both saw bright flames bursting into the sky.

"Oh my god," Castle muttered, watching in horror as they turned the corner. In front of them was the warehouse that Ryan and Espo had gone into. Now, it was a bright ball of orange. Hayley quickly parked, and they both hopped out. Castle looked for Beckett, narrowing his eyes against the brightness of the flames. Finally he saw her, frozen stiff. He approached, gently touching her shoulder. She spun around, horror clouding her gaze. Castle pulled her into his embrace, staring at the sickening flames. Someone in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned his head. The man turned his head, and their eyes connected. The moment made Castle's blood freeze, and he had to force himself not to tip of Beckett. Caleb started at the two of them, darkness in his gaze. Even from several yards away, Castle could see the pure ice in Caleb's gaze. He glared back, his eyes narrowing. _This isn't over. Not by a long shot._

 **Hello again everyone. Sorry this chapter took so long. I do assure you I would never just abandon an unfinished story. That's not who I am. But, updates might be less frequent that in the beginning. I'm getting a lot of requests right now. Thanks for everything. R &R**

 **NightLightning21**


	8. The Clock Ticks

The Clock Ticks

"Why is it taking so long," Beckett fretted. The first responders had gone in the building 5 minutes ago, and there still was no sign of anyone.

"I'm sure Ryan and Espo will be alive. They're tough, and they've had experience," Castle said, trying to reassure his wife. She was nowhere near calm. Castle decided this was most definitely not a good time to bring up Caleb. Instead, he just put his arm around Beckett, and stared into the devastating flames.

Smoke eddied around the two NYPD detectives. But neither of them were awake to see that. Bright orange flames billowed dangerously close. Their clothing was ripped, and both of them were suffocating. They would need oxygen to survive. And fast.

One wall begin to crumble. Cracks in the brick began forming, worming themselves along the length of the wall. But the clouds of fire were moving as well. They surrounded Ryan and Esposito, moving in for the kill.

The brick wall was straining with effort, threatening to break at any moment.

The flames lapped hungrily at the floor, coming within a foot of the partners.

The wall finally caved, its resolve weakening. Chunks of brick flew inwards, and landed skittering on the floor. Rescue teams poured in, already doing battle with the fierce flames. On of the men spotted the fabric of a suit, and pointed it out to his coworkers. They dodged flames, trying to reach and grab their targets. Water was sprayed, hissing onto the flames. The water cleared just enough space to see the two bodies. Two men went in, dragging the unconscious detectives out of their circle of fire.

"We got em," one said, lifting Ryan onto his shoulder. The other grabbed Esposito, supporting the dead weight.

"Move out. Let the building go," the leader said, leading her team out of the building.

Beckett could feel the guilt eating her soul. It bored right through her defenses, pouring acid on her conscience. She felt absolutely horrible. She remembered a similar feeling when Castle was in danger because of her. Two of her best friends could be dead, all because of her.

"We got em!" a voice shouted. Beckett's head snapped up, and she pulled out of Castle's grip. A team of firefighters were exiting the building, with two limp figures in the middle.

"Oh my god," she said, running as fast as she could towards the team. With lightning speed, the teams had situated Ryan and Esposito in ambulances. Beckett rna over to one, looking at Ryan. He looked horrible. His suit was burnt, and covered in ash and soot. He was bleeding heavily, and had both burn marks, and gashes over his body. But, it looked like he was not fatally injured. She tried to take a step closer, but was blocked by the first responders.

"Those men are my partners," she said hotly, glaring at the man who was addressing her.

"I understand, but you can't do anything. We will try our best to save them. But we can do our jobs better if we don't have you to worry about." He gave her a sympathetic glance, used to this from victim's families.

Beckett glared at him a moment longer, not quite seeing reason.

"He's right you know," Castle said, walking up behind her. Beckett spun around, seeing the pained eyes of her husband. He'd seen Esposito, and now was seeing Ryan.

"I know you want to do something Kate. But right now, if you wanna help them, you need to leave." Castle's voice trembled slightly, like he was trying hard to keep calm. Beckett reluctantly left, staring into Castle's eyes.

"Tell me they'll be okay," she said, leaning into him.

"They're strong. If anyone could survive this, it's them."

Beckett tried adjusting in one of the hospital was no use. Each position felt like rocks were digging into her. Castle sat next to her, completely silent. They had just finished calling Jenny, and it had nearly broken both of them. Jenny had been frantic, bursting into tears over the phone. Beckett had assigned officers to go and pick her up.

She knew how Jenny felt. The gut wrenching agony, the fear of what happened. It had eaten away at her for 2 months. Her mind came up with a thousand possible scenarios for what had happened to Rick.

Her phone buzzed on the table, and she wearily read the caller id, seeing it was the precinct calling.

"What is it?" she asked, her emotions running high.

"I'm sorry to bother you Captain," Hastings began. "But, we have a case I think you should see."

Castle walked into the precinct, just behind his wife. Beckett had adopted her usual swift stride, and looked like the most confident person in the world.

"Beckett, Castle, in here," Hastings called, from the tech room. Beckett spun around, striding into the tech room. Castle followed, shutting the door once he was in.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Tori looked to Hastings, who grabbed a report off the desk.

"A body was just discovered Captain. And he was discovered in the precinct parking lot." Castle's eyes widened in shock, and he drew in a breath. Some small part of his mind already knew where this was going. Mostly though, he was desperately hoping he was wrong.

"Do we know who he is?" Beckett asked, also startled by this. Hastings looked uncomfortable as she continued.

"He was a security guard. For the president." Now, Beckett had caught onto the same thing Castle had. Her eyes widened.

"There was a piece of paper on him, half soaked in blood. It said 'this is just the beginning.'" Castle looked up, knowing he was right. But Beckett beat him to the answer.

"It's a warning. From LokSat. He's going to kill the president." Her eyes were absolutely certain, adding to the horror of the situation. Castle knew she was right. The security guard was a sign. He was killed to send a message. A message that spelled disaster for them all.

 **I do have a plan for where this will go.**

 **Next time… Beckett and Castle are racing against the clock to uncover LokSat's plan to kill the president. Meanwhile, Ryan and Esposito are not out of the woods. Not by a long shot.**

 **You guys are amazing. R &R.**

 **NightLightning21**


	9. Curveball

Curveball

He was alive. Alive and well. Mostly. There was a fierce pain that seemed to dissipate throughout his body, spreading from head to toe. Through his hazy hearing, he could make out the steady beeping of a heart monitor. He blinked several times, still not used to the harsh fluorescent light of the hospital.

A doctor entered, in his pure white lab coat. He checked Esposito's vital signs, nodding in approval.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" the doctor asked, his voice sounding all too scripted.

"Fine," Esposito muttered, wincing at the use of his throat. The smoke had been extremely rough on his throat. It hurt to utter a single word.

"Well, now that you're awake, I will do some physical tests, once you're feeling up to it." Esposito still managed a pretty good glare, despite looking like some weird mutant with the burns all of his skin. The doctor retreated quickly.

Beckett strode through the precinct, catching the attention of every officer in the vicinity.

"We have a very grave and serious problem," she addressed her officers, looking at each one.

"Just today, we have found a serious, and credible threat to the president's life." There was no way she was going to tell everyone about the body. Not yet, anyway.

"The president is speaking in New York right now, giving our attackers plenty of chances to take them." Beckett paused, trying to develop a plan in her frazzled mind.

 _Treat it like any other case._

"I want the Secret Service notified, as well as the FBI. We cannot let these people get away," she said, practically spitting out her words. The officers stood there, staring at their captain.

"Well? Get going," Beckett snapped, retreating back into her office.

She began going over her case file about LokSat again, trying to figure out his game. Caleb was bold yes, but an idiot, not in a million years. She knew that he had a damn good plan if he was going to reveal himself like that. Her office door opened, and beckett prepared to yell at the unfortunate soul who was coming in.

"Hey girl," Hayley said, walking in. Beckett looked up, seemingly relieved that it was just Hayley.

"Hi Hayley," Beckett said, trying to put on a smile. She most definitely did not succeed.

"What's your next move?" Hayley asked.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Beckett asked, tiredly.

"Don't pretend. I talked with Castle. He filled me in on everything." Beckett sighed, folding her hands.

"I really need to talk with him about sharing confidential information." Beckett ran a hand through her hair, scratching the back of her head.

"Hey, I'm not just anyone. And I can help you," Hayley said, everything she said making sense. Yet to Beckett, her words were a jumbled mess. She closed her eyes, trying to focus. Hayley picked up on her turmoil.

"I'm going to go and get Castle. I don't think you're well Beckett," Hayley stated, walking out the door. Before Beckett could protest, Hayley was already gone. Great. Now Castle was going to be here, pestering her about who knows what.

Ryan coughed weakly, even that simple action sending strong ripples of pain throughout his chest. He tried rolling over, but found his body screamed in protest. He moved his hand, using all his strength just to do that. He'd been here how long? It felt like days. He remembered everything, and the terrifying scene just kept replaying. The deafening crashing… pure instinctive terror. Everything seemed so far away, and yet like it just happened moments ago.

He was interrupted from his nightmare when a doctor came into the room.

"I'm sorry sir. I know you've only been awake for a few hours, but your family was insistent." Ryan nodded weakly, swallowing painfully.

"It's fine," he croaked out. The doctor still looked very hesitant, as it was not standard protocol to let family in this early. Ryan was still in intensive care, but his family wouldn't go away. And the NYPD detective had asked for them about an hour ago.

"Kevin?" Just that voice made a roaring strength come back to him. He tried in vain to sit up, but just couldn't make his muscles do it.

"Jenny," he murmured, managing to extend his arm to touch her hand. She kissed it, but didn't come any closer.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his anxiety spiking.

"Nothing, it's just that… I never thought you'd survive that. And yet, here you are, alive and right here." Jenny's eyes began welling up, and she turned around for a few seconds.

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," Ryan tried to reassure her.

"No it's not that," she said, gently stroking his hair. "It's just that-" she then burst into tears, holding her face in her hands. Ryan valiantly tried to comfort her, touching her with his hand.

"What is it?" he managed to rasp out, although it made his chest squeeze.

"Beckett told me why you and Esposito…" Ryan looked at his wife, alarm in his eyes. If she knew why the building had been detonated.

"Beckett… what did she say?"

"She said that the fire was planned. That is was made by someone with a vendetta against her," Jenny managed to choke out. Ryan instantly though of LokSat. His mind went into overdrive, and his heart rate increased. He was so caught up in his mind, he didn't even notice that Jenny wasn't finished.

"Kevin, I was speaking to Javier's doctors." Jenny took a deep breath, forcing herself to go on. Ryan looked up, his thoughts transferring to his partner. Esposito had been alive when they'd been rescued. So what was happening now?

"I was speaking to the doctors, and they told me some news about Javier." Jenny looked on the verge of breaking again, so Ryan brushed his hand against her again.

"It's okay."

"They were doing some physical tests, and found something in Javier's spine. It looks like some sort of blood clot, pressing on his spine. They told me that he's paralyzed."

 **Sorry if this wasn't the greatest chapter. I was sort of rushed.**

 **Next time… Castle and Beckett become part of the president's security force, while solving the case. Esposito deals with his potential paralysis.**

 **You guys are amazing.**

 **NightLightning21**


	10. Building Tension

Building Tension

Beckett could feel old memories invading her brain as she slipped into the same suit she'd used during her time as a federal agent. Life back then seemed so simple. Of course at the time, she'd probably thought it was complicated. But now she was chasing down phantom people, staking her life on this investigation. At least now she had Castle by her side.

"You ready?" Beckett whirled around to see Castle standing behind her. She did the last button of her blue shirt, stepping out of the bathroom.

"Yeah, I just need to grab my bag," she said. He followed her into the other room, playing on his phone.

"You know the plan?" she asked, probably for the 30th time that day. Castle however, indulged her, knowing she was just nervous.

"Yes I know the plan. Although all I'm doing is being in the crowd. You're the one who's protecting the big guy." Beckett rolled her eyes at castle's nickname for the president.

"You told Alexis and Martha?" She'd asked that many times before as well.

"Yes, they know I'm going to here the president speak." Beckett knew at this point that she was just being annoying to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just nervous about this." She continued babbling until Castle pressed his lips against hers. She deepened it, her arms pulling him closer. Castle broke the kiss, pulling away.

"That make you feel better?"

"Always," she replied, her voice slightly raspy. Her pupils had dilated, and she felt a rush of heat through her body. _Stop it!_ She told herself.

"We should go," Castle said, practically running downstairs. She followed, still trying to squash her desire. Now was definitely not the time.

* * *

Ryan stared at his partner, tears clouding his eyes. Jenny was his wife, and trusted companion, but Esposito was truly his best friend. The thought of having to work without him, it was unthinkable.

Jenny came into the room, seeing her husband slouched in the chair. He had changed into a normal shirt, and comfortable pants. He was nowhere near healed, but he could get himself around. And his first request had been to go and see Esposito.

"Kevin?" she asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. Ryan flinched, like he hadn't noticed her coming into the room.

"Oh, hey Jenny," he said, trying to act positive. He failed miserably.

"I brought you some coffee. And the doctor's on the way. He said that after a day, Javier should be waking up. He said that the first time Javier woke up, it wouldn't last. That the second time was when he would truly be up" Ryan nodded numbly. Jenny handed him the coffee, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She then quietly retreated, knowing that Ryan needed some alone time.

Ryan sat there for two hours, waiting for something to happen. He looked up as the door flew open, and Lanie strode into the room.

"How is he?" she demanded, rushing over to examine the detective.

"Doctor said he should wake up very soon," Ryan promised, trying to reassure her. Lanie gently touched his face, circling some of the burns. Tears splashed to the floor, the only sound in the room.

"Is he paralyzed?" Lanie asked. Ryan still flinched whenever he thought of that.

"It's too soon to tell. This could just be temporary. Or it could be…" Ryan trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

"What did Castle and Beckett say?" Lanie asked, turning her attention back to Esposito. Ryan didn't register her words at first. He'd been so shocked, that he didn't think to even call Castle or Beckett.

"Crap, they don't know," Ryan muttered, pulling out his phone.

"Don't call them," Lanie advised. "They're protecting the president." Ryan couldn't quite keep the shock off his face.

"They're what?" he asked, then quickly lowered his voice.

"Just don't worry about that. Right now, they can't be worrying about Esposito. And he would say the same thing." Ryan sighed, knowing she was right.

"Still, Beckett's going to kill me," Ryan muttered. They didn't get to finish their conversation, because there was a stirring in the bed.

"Javi?" Lanie slowly approached, seeing Esposito roll over.

"Hey," he murmured, reaching out his hand. He tried to sit up, but for some reason, he couldn't.

Esposito tried again to lift his legs, tried to force himself into a sitting position, but nothing happened.

* * *

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at the blankets.

"Umm, Javi… I…" Ryan began, swallowing hard. Esposito instantly knew something was wrong. He may have been muddled, and weak, but certainly not stupid.

"Spill it," he said, in his best intimidating voice. Unfortunately, it came out sounding like he was half donkey.

"The doctor said that you have a blood clot pressing against your spine. It's restricting your ability to control your leg movements."

"What does that even…" Esposito trailed off, as he realized what Ryan had just said.

"I… I'm paralyzed?" The heart monitor began going wild, clearly showing the distress of the detective.

"We don't know that for sure," Lanie said, trying to reassure him. Her attempts did little to reassure him.

"I'm paralyzed?!" Esposito yelled, slamming his fists against the bed.

"Javi, calm down," Ryan said, trying to soothe his partner. Esposito glared at him, clenching his fists.

"Don't tell me what to do!" he yelled. Lanie and Jenny both jumped back in fright. Ryan took a few steps back.

"Espo, I know that you're not being rational right now." Esposito tried to lunge out of bed, but ended up just twisting his body. Lanie quickly opened the door, pushing Jenny through. Ryan followed, leaving his partner alone in his room. He ran down the hall, grabbing Espo's doctor.

"Please help him."

* * *

Castle looked around him, seeing everyone milling around on the White House lawn. He was bored to death right now, waiting for the president's speech. He was only entertained by swapping looks with Beckett. He'd sensed how aroused she was back in the apartment, and was doing his best to torture her. He used that fiery, smoldering gaze that he knew she couldn't resist. Unfortunately, she gave as good as he did. She kept casually flipping her hair, and throwing him winning smiles.

Only once the actual speech started did they both get serious again. Castle stood with the crowd as the president on the United States came to stand on a podium.

"Welcome everyone." Castle clapped with everyone else, also searching the crowd. Somewhere, there was a cold blooded killer.

 **And the drama escalates. Let me know if you want hotter Caskett scenes.**

 **Next time… Castle and Beckett work to save the president, undercover at the White House.**


	11. Sparks

Sparks

"Fellow Americans, I know that there is much that is going wrong in this country. And I know how easy it is to dwell on those problems. Trust me, as president, if I focused on the bad, well, I would never get anything done." The crowd laughed lightly.

Beckett exchanged a look with Castle. He was still trying to seduce her. Even though the president was under attack, and the worst part, she was falling for it. She gave him a good glare, telling him to knock it off. He did not pay attention in the slightest. As professional as Beckett was, she was still quite susceptible to her husband's charm.

"We can no longer sit by, and watch our country be destroyed. The time for trying to negotiate with our enemies is sadly over. We must prepare our allies in foreign countries." Beckett tried to do anything to tear her gaze away from Castle's.

He was casually licking his lips, and kept giving her that mysterious writer look, that she loved so much. And despite everything, she could feel the familiar anticipation in her stomach, and her entire body seemed to come alive with longing. Even from 200 feet away, he could sense what was happening.

Beckett took a few deep breaths, trying to get her want under control. She was a smart cop, not a lovesick puppy right now. The heat was still there, but she could focus on other things at the moment. Like the gleam of metal in the distance. For a second, she was plunged back to Roy Montgomery's funeral, where she was on the podium. She could still feel the burning pain of the bullet, the rough grass on her body when castle tackled her. The gleam of metal she saw less than a second before Castle was pushing her to the ground.

This time it wasn't her life on the line. This time it was the leader of her country. Beckett quickly squinted her eyes, to try and see the assailant. She could feel it in her bones that a shot was about to be fired. There was a tension in the air, that mirrored her own body. She nudged the person next to her, motioning to the gleaming dot.

It was like chaos exploded. Beckett and her side partner both rushed the podium, while there was the distant sound of a shot. Beckett pushed the president, just as she felt the bullet whizzing by. She and the president collided to the ground, inches away from the sniper bullet. The crowd was panicking, and the screams of terrified observers filled the air. Beckett and the other guard held down the president for a few moments longer, making sure there wouldn't be another shot fired. Already, security teams were rushing over, forming a protective circle.

"Go find the shooter," the head of security ordered, pointing at Beckett, and six of her fellow guards. They all nodded, and rushed towards the direction of the shot. Beckett paused on her way to talk to Castle.

"Stay here. I'll be right back." For once in the time that she'd known Richard Castle, he didn't follow her. He just nodded, and began trying to calm people down. Beckett raced across the lawn, catching up to her new team.

"There's no way a shooter could get on the premises," one man said, scanning the surrounding area. Beckett had only gotten a glimpse of the gleaming metal, and couldn't pinpoint exactly where it'd come from. Okay, so she had to figure it out.

She looked around, seeing maybe two potential shooting points. One was in a large oak, on the sidewalk. The other was a hotel, where the shooter could've hidden.

"There's two possible places," she said, pointing to both of them.

"Split up," the leader said. "You three take the oak, the other four go in the hotel." Beckett went to the hotel, with the three other guards.

"How do we figure out which room the shot came from?" one female asked.

"We talk to the front desk," Beckett replied, entering the building.

"Excuse me, Federal Agents. We need to see who's been staying in rooms that are facing north, and are between floors 8-14." The front desk clerk stood frozen for a second, before he grabbed his computer, and turned the monitor around. Beckett scanned the list of names, but none of them popped. She didn't recognize a single one.

"Wait, why is this one not occupied?" she asked. "This hotel is fully booked." The clerk looked at the room on floor 11.

"That one had a problem," he said, looking uncomfortable. Beckett narrowed her eyes.

"What's the problem exactly?" she asked, glaring at him.

"You have to understand, management told me not to talk about it."

"Screw your management. We are investigating a shooter, who aimed at the president," on team member said. The clerk's eyes bulged out.

"Wait, you think there's a shooter in the building?" he asked, in a high pitched voice.

"No, he's no threat to your residency. But what's wrong with the room?"

"We umm, we have a problem with rats in that room." Beckett made an "eew" face, before sharing a glance with her colleagues.

"Give us the key."

Beckett stood pressed up against the wall, her gun drawn. One member of the team had slipped the key in the door, and was opening it very softly.

"Secret Service!" The team swarmed into the room, spreading out to try and find the shooter. Beckett went over to the open window, peering out. She had the perfect vantage point.

"Federal Agents! Put your hands up right now!" Beckett rushed to the next room, seeing the other three surrounding a man holding a sniper rifle.

"Well, if it isn't you guys." Beckett was taken aback by the guy's calmness.

"You're under arrest for the attempted assassination of the president of the United States."

Castle stared at the guy in interrogation. He was the shooter. Castle was sure about it. Beckett entered the room, handing him a cup of coffee. They continued to stare at the interrogation room, to where agents were trying to crack this guy.

"It's a start," Castle said confidently. "We're close now, I can feel it." Beckett smiled at him. Castle knew this guy would prove vital in the Lok Sat investigation. They had made small steps. But, they were nearing the finish line. They were taking their first steps to the finish. And in the hospital, Esposto was taking his first steps towards recovery. Hopefully.

 **Super sorry for not updating for so long. I've been super busy. Anyways, one or two more chapters left. And maybe a steamy Caskett ending. Who knows. You guys are amazing.**

 **R &R**

 **NightLightning21**


	12. Devious

Devious

Castle looked down into the interrogation room, watching Beckett and the shooter. He glanced over to where Ryan and Hastings were sitting.

"Do you really think she can crack him?" Ryan asked. Well, that definitely didn't help Castle's hope.

"She's beaten people like this before," he said, trying to sound confident. His voice betrayed him.

"From what I know about Lok Sat," Hastings began. "He doesn't sound like the kind of guy who would hire rats."

"His name's Caleb," Castle corrected her. He was so sick of hearing Lok Sat. "And you're probably right." Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but interrupted by the door opening.

Lanie stepped into the room, worry etched across her features. Her eyes looked almost clouded from pure exhaustion. It was clear she hadn't had a proper night's rest in a long time.

"How's the interrogation going?" she asked, but clearly wasn't paying attention. Her mind was elsewhere, with someone else.

"Don't worry about Lok Sat Lanie," Castle said, in an effort to comfort. "What's wrong?"

"It's Javi," Lanie started. "He's been working with his legs, trying to walk again." She burst into tears, something Castle guessed was a common occurrence lately.

"What's wrong then?" he asked gently.

"He's had a relapse. He was working himself too hard, the doctors are doing everything they can, but… he refuses to let them help. And he only has me to try and convince him."

"I'll go," Ryan offered instantly.

"We'll all go," Castle said, shooting her a reassuring glance. "I'm gonna go stop Beckett." Lanie nodded, looking ready to break again. Hastings offered her a comforting hug, gently leading the M.E. out of the room.

After they left, Castle exited the observation room, heading for the door to interrogation. He was about to take another step, when the door swung violently open, hitting him in the nose.

"OW!" he howled, clutching at his nose. Beckett glanced over, an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry Castle. I didn't expect you to be there." He gave her a sheepish smile.

"I thought that's what you love about me. That I'm unexpected." Beckett had to smile, no matter how bad her day was going.

"Well, that and one other thing," Castle said, lifting his eyebrows suggestively. Beckett just rolled her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked, knowing his happiness was just a show. Castle got a more serious look on his face.

"You first," he insisted.

"Weren't you listening?" she asked. Castle gave her a guilty look.

"He won't talk," Beckett informed him. "He said he's not going to be a snitch." Castle sighed, not surprised, but still disappointed.

"Okay, not it's your turn," Beckett said.

"Espo's had a relapse. We don't know much, but according to Lanie, he's not taking it well." Beckett nodded in a knowing way.

"I'd expect him to take it… not well. He's a fighter."

"We're all going to see him," Castle said, raising his voice so he could be heard. A uniform was escorting Cody was his assumed name out of the box. He was muttering, and making the whole atmosphere tense. Cody glared at Beckett as he was escorted away, but knew he was helpless. For now.

Beckett stared after Cody, still wishing she could have gotten anything. She'd tried everything she could. But, as expected, he was like a rock.

"Okay, why don't we go and see him now. We can try and help him now, and deal with this later," she suggested. Castle nodded in agreement.

"I'll grab Ryan, you get Lanie and Hastings," he said, rushing off. Beckett nodded, and headed towards the break room. Sure enough, there were the two women. Lanie was trying hard to hold it together. Beckett was amazed she'd been able to work at all the past week.

"You okay?" she asked, while entering the room.

"I'll be better once we're helping him," Lanie admitted.

"Of course. We'll go right now," Beckett said, leading the two women out of the building.

Beckett stared at Esposito on his bed. The detective's physical wounds were almost healed. The burns had been healed completely. The only injuries now, were internal.

"How you doing?" she asked, grasping his hand.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "You guys shouldn't have come here." Beckett gave him the look.

"That is the worst lie I've ever heard. And I've been hanging out with Castle." Esposito sighed, and stared up at the ceiling.

"What did the doctors say?" he asked.

"They said that they were almost certain this was temporary. That you were just working too hard. But, that doesn't mean you did anything wrong."

"What the hell does overworking myself mean?" Espo demanded.

"You're spine was healing. But something made the new tissue break. That doesn't mean you can't heal again. And we're all going to help you."

Cody sat in the cell, a plan already in mind. He knew exactly what he had to do. He inspected the lock in his cell, taking a minute to really study it. That Captain Beckett person really was a fool. And so was her weird husband. And yet they both thought they were so smart.

Did they really think he'd sprained his wrist. He'd made sure to provoke an officer, and do a little shoving match, which had resulted in him getting his arm slammed into a wall. Sure enough, a uniform came in, and unlocked his cell, a doctor trailing behind her.

"How's your wrist?" the doctor asked, opening his bag.

"As good as the rest of me," Cody replied calmly. "And completely unharmed." He didn't give them a chance to react. The doctor was out cold in seconds, the uniform following soon after. He grabbed one of their phones, sending a message to an unknown number.

 _You have a golden opportunity at the hospital where a certain injured detective is being held_

 _What kind of opportunity?_

 _A gathering of people_

 _Oh, be right there_

 **Whew, one more chapter. And no promo this time. It's a surprise. I would like to say how grateful I am to those who have stuck with this story. I certainly have enjoyed it. R &R**

 **NightLightning21**


	13. Always and Forever

Always and Forever

Castle was sure that by this point Esposito must have felt like a zoo animal. He knew how hard this must be for the proud detective.

"Okay, just a couple more steps," the trainer said, motioning him forward. Espo grimaced as he stepped forward again. Castle was still watching when he felt himself being pulled aside by Beckett.

"Do you think it will work?" she asked, gesturing to Espo. Castle knew what she was talking about.

"I don't know," he said, worry creeping into his tone. "I guess we can only hope."

"Yo guys," Esposito called out. "Whatcha talking about?"

"Nothing," Beckett replied a little too quickly. The detective narrowed his eyes, but didn't press the matter. He took the last painful step, making it to the end of the railing.

"There, done," he said, gently settling himself into a wheelchair.

"Nice job bro," Ryan said, sharing a nod with his partner.

"Beckett!" a voice called out. Castle turned around, and recognized the owner of the voice. Hastings entered the physical therapy room, a large file in her hands.

"What's the file for?" Ryan asked. Beckett took the file, and opened it.

"I asked Hastings to gather a file on Cody. We believe he's the direct link to Caleb."

"And you think that by nailing Cody, we'll get Caleb too?" Esposito asked.

"It's our best shot," Beckett responded, trying to sound optimistic.

"At least we're safe for now," Lanie muttered, looking around at the group.

"Look, Caleb doesn't know we got to Cody. So why would he make a move now?" Castle asked, trying to give hope.

"Hastings, can you resume your position?" Beckett asked, guiding the younger woman away. Hastings gave her a nod, her eyes filled with nervous confidence.

"I'll make sure to tell you." With that, she walked away, her posture nervous, and apprehensive.

"What was that about?" Lanie asked, watching the retreating uniform officer.

"Hastings? She's just monitoring the hospital." Beckett was about to speak again, but quickly shut her mouth as the trainer came back in.

"Okay, Javier. I have good news for you. Based on that last session, I believe your wounds are healing well. You're walk has no trouble, and there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage. Overall, I think that your physical wounds are healing very well." Castle sensed the doctor was leaving something out. Having a daughter gave you a certain instinct.

"But?" he questioned. The doctor shot him an uncomfortable look.

"If the group and I could talk for a few moments," she asked. Even though Esposito shot them all death glares, they left him, and followed the doctor.

"So, what's the catch?" Beckett asked. Hmm, maybe she had that sense too.

"The truth is, a lot of the healing process is mental. You have to want to get better. You have to be motivated. And I see what's happening with Mr. Esposito happen to many other people."

"And that is?" Lanie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He feels useless. I've treated a lot of men who came back from the military. They hate feeling useless. And so in turn, they simply refuse to even acknowledge the potential of recovery." She shrugged sadly. "Some of them never do recover." Ryan looked stricken, and Lanie had unshed tears in her eyes.

"So what can we do to help? Ryan asked, his voice shaking some.

"Unfortunately, there's not much you can do. This has to be his decision. What you guys can do, is encourage him. Make him feel like he's not fighting a worthless fight. Often, if the recovery process takes too long, a patient will lose hope altogether. And that's when the complete hopelessness sets in." Castle exchanged a glance with Beckett.

"We'll do everything we can for him," Lanie said, looking over at the detective.

"Good," the doctor replied. "Now, I'm sorry, but I have to go. You guys can take him back to his room when he's done."

The group turned as one back to Esposito. Beckett's phone suddenly beeped, alerting her to a new text. She turned to Castle, giving him an almost unnoticeable nod.

"Why don't we get you back to your room," Castle said, his loud voice echoing. "I'm sure we can-" He was cut off by the sound of glass being smashed, and several pairs of footsteps stomping into the room. Castle barely had time to turn around, before the ominous click of a gun stopped him cold.

* * *

Beckett knew this was coming. She knew that it had to come sometime. Within seconds, eight men, with guns drawn were standing at the entrance. The group parted to reveal a very familiar face.

"Castle and Beckett, so nice to finally see you two lovebirds again." Beckett had never hated a voice more. Well, maybe Bracken, but that wasn't the point. Caleb Brown.

"You know you should never have gone after Cody. I mean really? He played you two so so easily. It was very amusing to watch." Beckett glared at him, as he moved closer. The rest of his men stayed near the entrance.

"So, what are you gonna do? Kill us all? And then what?"

"Then, I'll disappear. The world thinks I'm dead Beckett. And when all of you die… well… the little secret of being alive will disappear."

"Why'd you come here Caleb?" Castle asked. "Risk so much exposure. Why not just have one of your men kill us?"

"Because of the grief you guys have caused me," Caleb answered instantly. "Years of building a company. Years of slaving away. Everything. My whole future was hanging for a while. Because of you guys. So, I wanted to have the satisfaction of knowing that I pulled the trigger to end each one of your sorry miserable lives. It's sporting." He pulled out a handgun, sweeping it across the rugged line. "Line up," he commanded. They reluctantly straightened their line. Everyone but Espo. He was in a wheelchair.

"You," Caleb said, pointing at Esposito. "Get up." Espo physically tried pulling himself up, but he couldn't. Caleb walked over to him, offering his hand. Esposito exchanged a glance with Beckett. She nodded, before shouting "Now!"

Esposito charged, knocking Caleb off his feet. At the same time, a small device was thrown into the ranks of Caleb's men. They didn't even have time to react before they were thrown in an array of different directions.

Ryan was ready as well, kicking Caleb's gun away from him, and fastening handcuffs around his wrists.

"Caleb Brown, you're under arrest."

* * *

Castle hung up the phone with Ryan, replaying their conversation in his head. Caleb was gone for good. Caleb and Cody had both been connected with at least a dozen other unsolved murders. Cody had been doing Lok Sat's dirty work for more than five years.

"The DA said that there is an almost 100% chance of a conviction," Castle informed Beckett as she walked into their bedroom.

"Good. I'm just glad this is all finally over." Castle nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, this whole thing has caused a lot of grief," Castle said, subtly hinting at the one lurking problem. Beckett clearly got the message.

"Look Castle, I know that there's a lot that we need to go through. And this time, we're not going to avoid this." Castle raised his eyebrow.

"It seems like whenever we try to talk things out, something pops up." Beckett sighed, glancing away for a second. But a second later, she met his gaze again.

"I know that generally I close off. And even after eight years, I still struggle. But this is different. By going off on Lok Sat, I realized a lot about myself. And I know now what my priorities are." Castle raised his eyebrow.

"I believe you Kate. But I don't think this is going to be a one night transformation." Beckett nodded in agreement.

"I know. And I don't plan on it. But I promise we'll do this together. We'll do our lives together. Just like we promised." Castle nodded in understanding, a small smile appearing on his face.

"We're going to need to reconnect. And this time, I don't want their to be any boundaries between us." Beckett smiled, climbing onto the bed.

"I couldn't agree more," Beckett said, snuggling up to Castle. He leaned down and captured her lips in a longing kiss. She gladly returned it, a feeling of intense safety and comfort washing over her.

They took it slow that night. Just like their journey ahead would be slow. But they would make it. They would survive through the perils of this cruel world.

In the afterglow, Castle turned to Beckett, and said something she would never forget.

"True love isn't born. It isn't made. It's earned. And once we earned it, it will never go away." Beckett knew every word he said was truth. They would last. They would endure. Always.

* * *

 **Wow, to say this has been great would be an understatement. I never expected the out pour of support from you guys, and I can't thank you enough. This has been so much fun to write, and each chapter posed new and exciting challenges. I hope I did it justice. Thank you guys so much.**

 **NightLightning21**


End file.
